Foreign leaders arrive for Chad leader’s funeral as rebels threaten advance

The son of Chad's late president Idriss Deby, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (also known as Mahamat Kaka) and Chadian army officers gather in the northeastern town of Kidal, Mali, February 7, 2013. [Reuters]

Foreign leaders arrived in Chad on Thursday for the funeral of slain president Idriss Deby as France backed the new military leaders in the face of rebel threats to resume an offensive on the capital N’Djamena.

French President Emmanuel Macron, Guinean President Alpha Conde and several other African heads of state arrived in N'Djamena despite warnings from the rebels that foreign leaders should not attend Friday's funeral for security reasons.